Credit where credit is due. Walt Disney World has put in place, either of its own free will or as part of a forced part of a contract, a rather robust pavement restoration schedule for Pandora – The World of Avatar. Over the years, we have seen refurbishment projects meant to restore the vibrancy and glow-in-the-dark qualities of the otherworldly land in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Another pavement refurbishment project is underway now.
Pavement Refurbishment in Pandora – The World of Avatar
The refurbishment is taking place near the main entrance to the land. Just across the bridge from Discovery Island is the Flaska Reclinata – one of the most important plants in the world of Pandora. Its function? It detoxifies the air, making Pandora navigable for humans.
The flaska reclinata is one of the most important plants on Pandora. It plays an important role on the moon by helping to detoxify the atmosphere. Toxic gases (mostly volcanic in origin) are absorbed into the plant body where they dissolve into a pool of watery liquid that accumulates inside. This primeval “soup” periodically builds up pressure and temperature and is squirted in non-toxic, purified plume from the top of the plant.
It’s just across from the Flaska Reclinata that we find the pavement refurbishment work. The walkway pinches in where overnight crews are working on restoring the pathway. This work includes not only a paint refresh but a refilling of the glow-in-the-dark beads that give the walkway a glow at night. Of course, “nighttime” and “Disney’s Animal Kingdom” are not two words that go together since the COVID-19 shutdown ended the Rivers of Light show and allowed executives to cut hours dramatically at the park.
We assume that longer operating hours are coming once the Tropical Americas land opens in 2027, making glow-in-the-dark pavement restoration a non-trivial maintenance task. Here’s a look at the ongoing work from our visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom today.
It looks like other parts of the walkway have already been sealed and reopened to guests.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!